Building on Buzzwords: Smoothies, Gut Health, and Nut Milk

Trendy topics never rest, especially in the age of constant information. Here are a few more health and wellness buzzwords you might be hearing lately along with some brief descriptions to give you more information.

As always, please talk to your doctor before starting any kind of new health regimen or plan.

Smarter Sleeping

The sleep revolution is under way. Experts say more people are coming to two important realizations:

• Digital devices such as phones and computers ruin our sleep.
• Ditching sleep to gain more hours at work won’t make us more productive.

Better sleep is getting to be big business. Many retailers advertise beds and mattresses that analyze REM cycles, wake you up with alarms by measuring your sleep patterns, control bedroom temperatures, and some that may even help diagnose certain sleep disorders.

There seems to be a bigger emphasis on using diffused essential oils and meditating before sleep as well as a better understanding of how proper sleep has an effect on our weight. The consensus seems to be: Make your bedroom a place of rest. Turn off the TV, turn off the phone, and indulge.

Green smoothies

Need to get out of the starting blocks in the morning? Smoothies usually get the engine running. But we are used to the colorful, fruity variety – not one that is a deep shade of green. Well, that’s changing. Green smoothies may be the next big thing because they include super healthy foods such as spinach, avocados, pears, lettuce, and kale.

Don’t worry, though – these smoothies also contain the usual ingredients such as milk, bananas, and yogurt to help offset the taste of anything you normally don’t like or couldn’t fathom downing in liquid form.

Gut health

Our own Dr. Salvatore Lacagnina, the director of health and wellness for Lee Health, constantly makes the rounds to talk about food as medicine. He recently co-hosted a popular event that tackled the benefits of gut health. More people are starting to hear that message.

Dr. Sal’s partner at that event, Dr. Sebastian Klisiewicz, D.O., said: “How do we get the good stuff into our bodies – we eat it, so a good gut is the beginning to good health. How’s your poop? Good health and bad disease almost always start in the same place – the gut.”

You may always be up for talking about your poop, but trusting your gut never sounded so perfect.

Nut Milks

Dairy causes a lot of trouble – from inflammation to allergies to bloating and gas and all points in between. So more of us guzzle milk made out of nuts such as almonds or coconuts.

But nut milk goes much deeper than that: You can even concoct milk out of cashews, pumpkin seeds, flax, and hazelnuts. More retailers currently stock things such as rice milk as well, and recipes and do-it-yourself kits are available to make your own milk out of your favorite nut.

Natural fibers/cutting waste

Living a cleaner life. How is it done? Do you ever think about the clothes you wear? Natural fabrics such as cotton, linen, silk, wool, cashmere, and hemp are less toxic, more environmentally friendly – and they just seem to feel better on the skin. Advocates say this kind of thinking helps mindfulness and feeling a certain sense of peace and unity.

The same kind of feeling goes along with cutting waste by recycling, using your own grocery bags, switching to environmentally friendly cars, etc. Going green has snowballed in the last several years and, fortunately, shows no sign of letting up.

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Need more? Give us a call

Want an expert to help walk you through some of these trends? Looking for a class or education opportunity that goes into more detail? Call one of our Healthy Life Centers near you:

• Cape Coral: 239-424-3220
• Lee Health Coconut Point: 239-468-0050
• Fort Myers: 239-343-4980
• Babcock Ranch: 239-343-6540

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